


Tales from Patola

by Hordika



Series: The Heirs of Aaravos [1]
Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M, Fan season 3, Post-Canon, t just to be safe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-17
Updated: 2019-09-30
Packaged: 2020-10-20 14:57:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20677286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hordika/pseuds/Hordika
Summary: A retelling of Callum and Rayla's travels through the Skywing city of Patola, home to the Sky Nexus. Rayla encounters people and places from her past, while Callum learns to master his sky arcanum. When the two of them decide to explore the city alone, they each confide certain truths in each other.





	1. Zanthor

**Author's Note:**

  * For [wordswithdragons](https://archiveofourown.org/users/wordswithdragons/gifts).

> Inspired by "in search of silver linings (we discovered gold)" by the always-talented wordswithdragons! Please check it out when you have the chance!

As summer approaches, the days get longer, so Callum and Rayla spend more extended periods marching through the Xadian wilderness.

It's exhausting, but the more they walk, the closer they are to the Dragon Queen, and the sooner they can rest easy, knowing that the world's last best hope is where he belongs.

But the last few weeks have been tiresome for other reasons as well. For one thing, Zym is now growing and becoming more used to flying. There are occasionally days where he might, without warning, fly off after something he might see, and she would spend hours with Callum calling for him, trying to track him down, only to realize he landed right back in their camp.

Which by itself would be fine, Rayla tells herself. It's just that she now _also _has to deal with Callum, excited that he can do magic again, becoming far more reckless than he should be. Sure, he's a mage now, and even with knowing only two spells he can handle himself in a fight. It's just that here in Xadia, Callum is _always _in danger no matter where he is or what time of day it is.

She understands this, but he apparently doesn't. The big dumb human seems to do whatever he can to invite danger. He can't just wander into the middle of a meadow, out in the open where everyone can see _and _hear him, and loudly shout "aspiro" to see how much dirt and grass he can throw into the air.

It reminds her of something Runaan once told her: There are _old _assassins, and there are _bold _assassins. But there are never _old bold _assassins. She gets the lesson: don't be cocky. Even a mage should know better than to show off and basically dare every elf in Xadia to take their best shot at him.

And when he's not a danger to himself, he's a danger to _her_. One morning, Rayla wakes up to Callum, trying to put out a fire five feet away from where she slept. Apparently, the dummy was trying to control the size of his fulminis spell, and instead set their campsite ablaze.

That was the last straw.

"Enough almost killing me!" she angrily told him, after they put the fire out. "Or you and Zym can keep a hundred feet away from me for the rest of the mission!"

Thankfully, he listened, and his little experiments stopped. Rayla guesses he must like her company enough for that to get his attention.

To be fair, she likes his company too, and would have been a little sad if they spent the rest of their journey barely in sight of one another. He may sometimes be infuriating, but she enjoys their conversations, his kind nature, and his protective instincts.

He's made this important mission somewhat…fun, which she never expected. Callum might ask a few whimsical questions one day, name silly constellations in the night sky, or just sing some Katolan jingle, horribly out of tune. Even though their task is serious, and their journey dangerous, it's nice to see him bring some levity to their days.

But recently, the more she pretends she doesn't, the more she realizes that she actually, truly likes him. Probably _more _than just likes him, in a way that she's never liked someone before. He's different, and she's confused by how strong her feelings are.

She's ignored those feelings for as long as she could. They're friends, and they can, and do, talk about anything. They've taken turns guarding Zym and Ez, and bounce ideas and strategies off each other. She can rely on him, and him on her, so she wasn't about to confuse him with her _own _confusion about what he means to her. And for the longest time, she could just push away any of the strange thoughts circling her mind and resolve to figure out whatever feelings she has after their mission was over.

Until she thought it was too late to resolve any of that. Until she thought his choice to use Dark Magic to save her life, cost him his own.

It still sends shivers down her spine, remembering his pale face and darkened eyes, his pained and struggled gasps for air, her holding him tight as she felt his life slip away through her fingers.

Only then could she not keep her feelings from bubbling up inside her and bursting forth like a levee giving way. Her feelings surprised her, as did the sheer intensity with which she felt them. She only knew him a few weeks at that point. Yet she can't stop thinking about him now and finds her eyes wandering over to him. Whenever he so much as speaks, it brightens her day. Whenever they touch, she can't help but smile. How had she fallen for him _this hard_?

Rayla keeps quiet about this, though. She knows Callum doesn't feel the same way. She's seen the way he's looked at Claudia. That wide grin, those flushed cheeks, and smitten eyes. It's a cute look, Rayla thinks, but he's never looked at her that way. It hurts, and she admits to herself that she's a bit jealous, but it's just the way things are.

It's probably for the best, she tells herself. Elves and humans have been enemies for over a thousand years. Even with peace, there's too much hurt and hatred for either side to sweep away. If anything, _she's _the strange one for being stupid enough to catch feelings for a human, she tells herself.

And when they return Zym and Callum goes home, maybe that’ll make it easier for her to move past her feelings and get on with her life again.

Rayla’s thoughts are interrupted as she pauses at the edge of a clearing up ahead. Something about this place seems familiar. She's hiked this trail before, when she was much younger, when…

Her realization comes all too late, as she spots elves descending from the trees. She recognizes their bluish features and feathery armor.

Grabbing Callum's arm, she pulls him and Zym behind a thick tree before either register what was happening.

"What was that?" asks Callum.

"Elves," she answers. "Skywing elves, specifically."

She peeks over from behind the tree and sees the assembled elves looking aimlessly into the woods.

"I think we'll be fine," she whispers. "They don't see us, so as soon as they clear out, we'll be on our way, and then—"

"Who goes there!" A skywing elf calls out to them. "Show yourself!"

Callum gives her a blank look. "Did you want me to help take that foot out of your mouth?" he asks her.

She glares but turns away from him. "Stay here," she says. "I'll try to talk our way out."

Rayla feels Callum grab her wrist. "There's no way I'm letting you go alone."

She looks back at him, confused. "Why wouldn't you? They probably wouldn't attack me if I came alone, but they would _definitely _murder both of us if they see you."

"But if they attack you—"

"If they attack me, then, by all means, light them up," she smirks. "No point in hiding you then, and I can really use the backup."

Callum shakes his head. "No, that's too risky. Can't we just sneak away?"

"No, I think it's too late for that." She looks at his hand, the one on her wrist. "Just trust me, okay? I can do this."

His eyes soften, and he releases her. "Okay, I trust you, Rayla."

She takes a breath and forces a smile.

She exits into the clearing, hands raised. The elves keep their arrows trained on her. "It's alright," she says. "I'm unarmed. Don't shoot. I just got turned around, but I'm not trying to trespass. If you let me go, I'll be on my merry way."

As the elves lower their weapons, one, in particular, takes a few steps forward. He's large, probably a head and a half taller than Rayla, and he just stares for a moment.

"Rayla?" he finally asks.

He knows her, she realizes. He catches her at a disadvantage because she's undoubtedly never met this skywing elf before. But there's something familiar about him. As she looks at him, it clicks in her mind.

"Zanthor?"

He grins, walks right up to her, and sweeps her up in his arms. "Rayla!" he shouts.

"Oof, Zanthor!" Rayla grunts. His tight grip knocks the air out of her lungs. She hears rustling in the woods behind her. Was that Callum?

As he puts her down, she gets a better look at him. When she last saw him, he was 13, she was 12. Back then, he was a skinny little boy, probably an inch shorter than she was.

But he's certainly grown since then, and Moon Above, he's massive. He's bigger than Runaan and has massive shoulders, muscular arms, and a square jaw.

Damn, she thinks to himself. He's devilishly handsome now.

The other elves uncomfortably look away from the two of them, as Rayla realizes she's been gawking at him for an awkward amount of time.

"That's a nice, um…plate of armor you're wearing," she says sheepishly, motioning to his teal and gold breastplate. Chainmail carrying a feathery design hangs from his shoulders and partially shroud his chest. "Who did you have to kill for it?"

Zanthor roars with laughter. "Very funny! It's great to see snarky Rayla is still with us! But I _earned _this armor, as a matter of fact," he says, with great pride in his voice. "You're looking at the new Captain of the Wren Guard."

As he strikes a pose, Rayla can't help but be impressed. "So, you're in charge of defending this region? At 16?"

He nods, eagerly and joyfully. "I like your garb, by the way." He motions to her uniform. "I see Runaan made you an assassin after all! We'll have to spar, one of these days!"

She chuckles. "Yea, one of these days. When I'm a little less busy." Rayla clasps her hands together. "Speaking of which, I am in a, uh, a bit of a situation—"

"Oh, and you remember Macchus, right?" he motions to the elderly skywing mage, standing amidst the other elves. Rayla catches the mage rolling his eyes and shaking his head, a little unsettled by Zanthor's lack of attention. She remembers Macchus, Zanthor's grandfather, but only in passing and mostly by reputation. She only met him one time in her entire life.

"Uh, yeah, hi, hello, nice to see you again," she waves meekly at him. The mage gives her a courteous smile.

"Anyway," Rayla continues. "About my situation. Let me start with the good news. It turns out, the Dragon Prince is alive!" She timidly raises her hands. "Yay!"

The elves are in shock. Macchus simply gapes at Rayla.

"He' s—he's alive?" asks the elder mage." How do you know this?"

"Well, the short version of the story is that we found the Dragon Egg during a mission in Katolis," she tells him. "On our journey back, he hatched, so now, we're traveling with the future King of the Dragons."

"We? Our? Who else are you traveling with?" asks Zanthor.

Rayla closes her eyes. There's no way to safely broach the subject, but she'll give it a try.

"I'm not traveling with the other elves, but I'm not alone. You see, it's not enough to end the war if I simply take the dragonling back to his mother by myself. I thought that, if it could be someone from Katolis, preferably a prince, who could return the dragon that was stolen from his mother, then maybe we could—"

She can't finish before Zanthor puts the pieces together. His demeanor becomes grave, with severity in his eyes she's never seen before. "You're traveling with a human," he says.

Rayla winces, but nods.

Zanthor unsheathes his longsword. "Show him to me," he demands.

Rayla raises her hands defensively. "You have to realize, he's not like other humans. He's not cruel, or hateful. He's kind and good."

Zanthor is unmoved. "Show him. To me."

She takes a breath. There's no avoiding the inevitable, she thinks to herself.

"Callum," she shouts. "You can come out."

Rayla sees a nervous boy, carrying Zym, slowly emerge from the woods. The baby dragon lets out a confused yelp.

"So it's true," Zanthor says coldly. "It's good to see the Dragon Prince alive and well. As for you." He motions to Callum with his sword. "Your brown pelt would look good on my wall, human."

As other skywing elves draw their swords and begin approaching Callum, he quickly steps one foot back. With his left hand, he immediately draws a rune, and electricity cackles from his fingers.

The skywing elves gasp, while others shout in disbelief. Others step back. Rayla tries her best to suppress a smirk.

"But, he's not holding a Primal Stone!" shouts Zanthor. "How is he doing that?"

"Because I have the sky arcanum!" Callum shouts, proudly. "So, I can use sky magic anywhere, and unless you want me to paint the trees with you, I suggest you take a step back."

Zanthor doesn't listen, and instead slightly bends his knees, ready to go on the offensive. Instinctively, Rayla reaches for her blades.

"Enough with this nonsense, children!" Macchus finally shouts. His gruff voice sounds almost exhausted.

He looks at Callum. "You said you're connected to sky arcanum. But do you know how to release the spell in your hand?"

Callum nods. "Then prove it," Macchus finishes.

Rayla can see the young mage hesitate. If he releases the spell, he'll be unarmed. Zanthor's soldiers will rush him, or Macchus may knock him down with his own magic.

But she also sees the confident resolve in Callum's eyes, and he raises his hand to the sky. Rayla clenches her fists as she hopes he's making the right decision.

"Fulminis!" he shouts, and the lightning disperses in the sky above them, leaving only a cry of thunder.

As the other elves stare up in wonder, Macchus claps his hands once. "Very impressive. What's your name, boy?"

"Callum," he says. "of Katolis."

Macchus looks confused. "Callum-of-Katolis?"

"Uh, just Callum," he answers.

Macchus glances at Rayla, then back at Callum. "Just-Callum-of-Katolis?"

Callum scratches the back of his head. "You can call me Callum for short."

The elder mage simply nods in agreement. "Very well. Your full name is hard to pronounce. But who am I to judge?"

Callum tries to suppress a sigh while Rayla does her best not to laugh. She managed to get his name right on the first try, though it was hard. Seeing her friend all worked up over it was…cute.

Macchus looks back over at Rayla. "Well, needless to say, your human friend intrigues me enough! And I insist you stay and let the Dragon Prince see the city of Patola!"

Zanthor gapes at Macchus. "We are not letting a human trespass into our city!"

Macchus shoots him a vexed look. "That is not your decision to make. Nor is it your place to deny the future King of the Dragons to visit our home."

Rayla shakes her head. "Thank you, but we have to keep a move on. War is coming, so we need to get Zym home as quickly as possible."

The elder mage looks at the dragonling. "Ah, so Zym is his name? Even so, the storm dragon needs to at least see the site of the Sky Nexus."

She doesn't need to see Callum to feel his eyes light up. "The Sky Nexus?" he asks. "C'mon, Rayla, we have to take Zym there!"

Her face forms a scowl as she looks at his. "Oh, really? And that has nothing to do with _you _wanting to visit the Sky Nexus?"

He gives her a goofy grin. "I mean, that's just a nice side-benefit."

"I guess it's too much to expect you to be on my side," Rayla replies as she rolls her eyes. With Zym yipping at her legs, this was enough for her to accept defeat.

"Fine," she sighs. "We stop by Patola and see the Nexus there. But only one day." She points at Callum. "We'll get there by midday, spend the afternoon and evening in the city, and leave by tomorrow morning. Deal?"

He takes her finger, imitating a handshake. "Deal."

Macchus chuckles. "Wonderful, then! We'll let you stay in the Primrose Lodge. That should give you a great view of the Aryam Mountains!"

Callum tilts his head. "The what?"

"You'll see," Rayla smiles, knowingly, as she places a hand on his shoulder.

As the company departs for Patola, Rayla reminds herself to breathe calmly. They'll be safe with Macchus' protection, and the detour will be short and harmless.

Nothing could go wrong.


	2. The Wild Prince

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rayla defends the choices of her past, while Callum finds himself in trouble, and begins to explore his newfound abilities.

Rayla had been to Patola many times before, so the journey to the city was quite familiar to her. The path before her was completely unchanged, so much so that she could probably make it to the city blindfolded. Seeing the Skywing capital again was refreshing, though she regrets that it isn’t as exciting a sight as it was the first time she laid eyes upon it.

Luckily, she got the chance to see the city for the first time in another way, through Callum’s eyes and gaping expression. He was never _not _staring at the sites around him, so much so that she had to watch out for him walking off a ledge several times.

The city of Patola was a wonder to behold. Skywing elves lived in tall spires that reached the sky, piercing the clouds as though it held up the sky itself. The spires were connected by rope bridges, even as many elves flew through the air, powered by their arcanum. Tree branches crept around the spires, not even weighed down by the various fruits hanging off of them.

“This,” he begins. “This is incredible!”

Even Zym is enjoying himself, zipping past and around them. This close to the Sky Nexus, he’s probably enjoying the lively energy he gets to draw from his arcanum.

She’s happy to see them both so animated, as though they’ve finally been brought back to the elements they’re most comfortable. As much as she’s annoyed by the sudden and unexpected detour, perhaps it won’t be so bad.

And since they’re here, she might as well do what she can to entertain the young sky mage.

As she places a hand on Callum’s shoulder, she points out a formation to their left. “You got to see this! They’re sort of coming into view now, so if you look, you can see the Aryam Mountains over there.”

Sure enough, the mountains catch and hold his attention. The towering mesas and peaks weren’t connected to anything on the ground, merely floating thousands of feet above Patola and the Sky Nexus. Their sides are sheer cliffs, with waterfalls stream down the sides and dispersing into spray at the bottom. They are overgrown with foliage at the top, and straggly bears of vines hang down beneath the mountains.

Rayla sees her human companion freeze in shock. “How in the world is that _possible_?! Even with magic, how are they just floating there?!”

She chuckles, amused at his almost childish glee and wonder. “Those mountains have reservoirs of lazurite buried deep within them. Lazurite contains sky magic in a raw form, so the crags can just float up there.”

She sees a confused look form on his face. “Wait, so magic isn’t just in living creatures? It can be in minerals too?”

Rayla nods her head. “Gems like that are pretty useful for when the Primal Source isn’t immediately available, or if you don’t have a mage to draw the rune. That’s why they’re so valuable and mined by elves. You can crush them in your hands and cast a spell.” She looks back at the mountains. “Runaan had to do something like that with a moon opal once, to turn our group invisible when human soldiers were coming.”

Formless guilt grabs hold of her heart and mind again, at the mere mention of Runaan. She knows betraying him was the right thing to do, but that didn’t make it any easier on her. But at this point, he’s probably worried sick about her more than anything else. Once she returns home and sees him, maybe they can make amends.

Her thoughts are interrupted when she sees Callum looming carelessly over the edge of a cliff.

Callum looks down the edge. “How far down is that?”

A grin forms on Rayla’s lips. “Eight thousand feet,” she replies bluntly.

The human boy looks over at her, in complete disbelief. “What?!” he exclaims. “That’s impossible! No canyon is eight thousand feet straight down!”

She gently pulls him away from the edge by his arm, and he complies. “I’m glad you’re enjoying the Sky Nexus this much, Callum,” she says to him, smiling. “Almost as much as I enjoy not having to explain to Ez why you walked off a ledge in Xadia.”

He snorts and rolls his eyes. “I’m not that much of a klutz. But if it comes to it, just tell him I died as I lived.”

Rayla snickers good-naturedly. “Like an idiot?”

He bursts out laughing, which causes her to join him. Somehow, the childlike glee from this human is just infectious.

“Hello,” she hears a familiar voice from behind her. Turning around, she finds Zanthor, grim-faced and serious.

“I hope I’m not interrupting, but I wish to speak with Rayla,” he announces.

Rayla is a bit surprised at the sudden request but figures it must be important.

“Uh, sure,” she says to him. Rayla looks back at Callum, his smile having faded.

As she and Zanthor walk for a moment, she speaks up again. “So, what was so urgent you needed to speak with me?”

He shrugs. “Whatever you’d like to talk about. I just thought you would have enjoyed not having to be a babysitter for a while.”

She chuckles. “Well, maybe a little, but Zym is pretty self-reliant now.”

Zanthor merely smiles. “I meant babysitting the human,” he says. “He seems quite a handful himself, it’s amazing he made it this far.”

Rayla assumes he’s just kidding but decides to clarify just in case. “Well, he can be careless, but most of the time he’s the one that has to bail me out of trouble than the other way around.”

She hears him let out a suppressed laugh. “You’re kidding, right?” Rayla can’t help but feel a bit embarrassed, although she doesn’t know why. She didn’t feel ashamed before having to rely on a _mage _to remove bigger threats and obstacles. That’s precisely how things work throughout Xadia. Yet something about Zanthor’s tone makes her feel personally attacked.

“Well, ‘bail me out’ is probably the wrong way to put it,” she says defensively. “What I meant is that his skills with magic come in handy. I-I can take care of myself.”

Zanthor shrugs. “I’m delighted to hear the boy isn’t a complete deadweight. But enough about him. I was more excited to hear about you!” He walks closer to her and places an arm over her shoulder. “I haven’t seen you in three years. You must be a master assassin by now!”

She shifts uncomfortably because of both his closeness and his statement. She tries to hide it and forces a sheepishly cheery tone. “I mean, I got a pair of master assassin _blades_ if that helps!” she smiles awkwardly at him. She pulls them out to show him, and silently offers him to hold one.

He looks at the blades. “Yikes,” he says. “I mean, the craftsmanship is astounding, but when was the last time you sharpened them?

It had been several weeks, she admits to herself. Not since she was with Runaan. “You’re right,” she concedes. “I should probably get a stone-sharpener thingy.”

“A whetstone?”

Rayla nods her head, recalling that was one of Runaan’s assassins called it. “Yea. That.”

He raises a brow. “You _do _know the steps for taking care of a blade, right?”

She rubs the back of her head. “Uh, if I say yes, are you going to make me list them?”

He sighs, handing it back to her. “You should have a smith take a look at them. You’ll have a hard time killing someone with them in their current state.”

Rayla is annoyed at his condescending tone but suppresses the thought for the time being. She forces a smile and an awkward laugh. “Well, I haven’t actually, you know, killed anyone with them yet.”

He laughs and places a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Don’t you worry. It’s just a matter of time. And timing. I must have killed dozens of highwaymen and rebel elves, I’ve almost lost count. But that was just because I was in the right place and right time.”

Rayla crosses her arms, closing her eyes as they walk. “I don’t think I want to, actually. I don’t think I want to be an assassin anymore.” She doesn’t know where the shame is coming from. She _knows _being an assassin is no longer wants to do, and yet just being near Zanthor makes her feel like that alone brands her a traitor to her people.

He looks at her, incredulous. “That’s ridiculous! Runaan’s star pupil, quitting before she even began? Whatever would he say about that?”

She has no idea what he would even think of the issue. She dreads having to bring it up, but she’ll have to, once she sees Runaan and her comrades back home.

“If I had to be honest,” she tells him. “I don’t know. I was on a mission to Katolis, to kill the King and Crown Prince. But it all went sideways so quickly, and I ended up going with the princes by myself. I’m not sure whether the others are.”

He looks confused. “So, you’re returning the Dragon Prince to his mother, yet Runaan doesn’t know about it?”

She nods her head. “I don’t think it would be a good idea if he did.”

Zanthor begins to look annoyed. “Yet it’s alright if a _human _travels with you on your journey to Xadia?”

She looks over back at Callum, playing with Zym on his shoulders. She stares at him fondly for a long time before answering softly. “Yes. With this one, it is.”

“You really trust this human, of all things, with your mission?”

“He’s brave and strong,” she sternly replies, her gaze fixed to Zanthor’s. “There’s no one I’d trust more with _our _mission.”

He drops the subject, and the two of them just walk in silence for a few minutes. She looks at him and sees his face had become so dark that for half a heartbeat she wondered if he’d been poisoned.

“I have a small matter to attend to,” he tells her sternly. “Enjoy your stay in Patola.”

Rayla breathes easily again, wondering how she was able to go through all that without suffocating.

***

Without Rayla, Callum feel somewhat exposed. After the group arrived at Patola, he and Zym peruse the main square of the city, amidst the other skywing elves who attempted to ignore his presence.

No one seemed at all threatening or intimidating to either Zym or himself. Yet, there was something almost callous about the elves’ indifference to him that felt hurtful. As though the elves simply refused to even acknowledge he’s there. When they approach him, they see only his surroundings or others, indeed, everything and anything except Callum.

Callum thinks back to how people in Katolis typically see him, usually as “the prince,” or “the step-prince.” It’s silly in an almost tragic way how his treatment in Patola reminds him of home.

He continues to do what he can to distract himself from his frustration at being alone. Not that he _needs_ Rayla, or even wants to tell her something at this moment. It’s just that her smiling and laughing with Zanthor is a little annoying to watch while he tries to not look isolated.

But even now that he has walked off on his own in the city, it’s hard to find something else to occupy his mind. He’s not jealous, he tells himself. He and Rayla are close, but not in that way. Nevertheless, he finds that he can’t not think about her with that…other elf.

Sitting down on the edge of a water pond, he sees a handful of fish, whirling around. Zym yips in his lap, and gives Callum a pleading stare.

He looks around to make sure no one was looking. “I won’t tell if you don’t,” he whispers to the storm dragon.

Callum chuckles as Zym grabs a tiny fish with his mouth, a tail still hanging out the side before swallowing the fish whole. Rayla would probably scold the two of them for upsetting the peace and quiet here, but they’re not in town for long. Zym might as well enjoy himself as much as he can.

Out of the corner of his eye, Callum sees Zanthor approaching him, a harsh look in his eyes. Was he angry about the fish?

“Human boy, is it?”

Callum doesn’t quite catch his meaning for a moment. “I mean, sure. ‘Callum’ would work better, but we can start with ‘Human boy’ for now.”

Zanthor seems less than amused. “I don’t think it makes any sense for the future King of the Dragons to be handled by you. It’s upsetting people to see a human holding a dragon.”

Callum laughs. “That’s funny, but I’m not just going to hand him over to you.”

“Let’s make a compromise then. If you give him to Rayla, then you’ll be able to leave this city in one piece.”

He notes the subtext this time. Truth be told, there’s no reason why that didn’t make sense to Callum. He’s obviously agitating some elves by carrying Zym around, and it’s almost Rayla’s turn to watch him anyway. And yet, something stirs within him and compels him not to back down in the face of a personal threat.

“I got a better compromise,” he tells Zanthor, looking up at his face. “I’ll keep doing what I’m doing, and you can do whatever it is you do when I’m not here.”

“You think you’re one to make demands?” Zanthor snaps at him. “You’re our guest, after all, as much as it pains me to say.”

Again, he’s right, Callum thinks to himself. It’s better to just do what his host asks of him. But he’s done being treated like an enemy, as a nobody. Especially by him.

“If this is what Macchus or _Rayla _thinks is best, I’d rather hear it from one of them,” Callum replies, calmly yet assertively.

“I don’t know what it is she sees in a weakling like you, but whatever charm you have her under won’t work on me, boy.”

“It’s not a charm,” Callum says. “It’s a mission, and it’s one that might bring peace between our people.”

Zanthor harrumphs. “I can see why you would want peace. A beetle will always want peace with a boot. But why is that my problem?”

Callum honestly doesn’t understand what Rayla sees in a bully like Zanthor. “If that’s so, then maybe it’s a good idea we’re on this mission. To make sure people like you don’t have a chance to stir up trouble.”

He hears something that sounds like a growl coming from Zanthor. “I’m the Captain of the Wren Guard, not some hooligan! If you want to see what happens when I ‘stir up trouble,’ then by all means. The sword I carry is bigger than you are.”

Callum realizes he knows better, but just can’t help himself, and lets out a snort. “You know, I’m no expert on swords, but I don’t think it takes one to know that it’s not the size of the sword really matters.” He glares into his eyes. “It’s how you use it.”

Perhaps it was his tone, or his insinuation, that set Zanthor off. Callum doesn’t know which, before his massive fist collides with his head, which sends him to the ground. The knocks the wind out of him, and he hears a sharp ringing in his ear as he prepares himself for another blow.

As Zym leaps out of the way, Zanthor picks up Callum by the neck and puts him in a chokehold. Callum struggles against his chest, gasping before air.

“Zanthor!” he hears Rayla’s voice screaming in the distance. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees his moonshadow companion sprinting towards them. “Stop it! You’re going to kill him!”

Yet Zanthor doesn’t relent.

“Hmph, ‘brave and strong’ my ass,” he whispers to Callum. “Rayla is deluding herself if she sees you as anything but pitiful and weak.”

As Callum continued to gasp for air, he feels a spark inside him surge. He can feel the wind move in the sky, miles above him. The air shifts, like it was flowing inside him too, as though he was instinctively drawing from it. It channels through him, building within him steadily until, at last, it bursts.

As the ground beneath them trembles, he slowly pulls Zanthor’s chokehold grip away from his neck, and then snaps forward, taking Zanthor with him, throwing over his head and crashing to the ground in front of him.

He doesn’t know where he got the strength to slam someone twice his size to the ground, in full body armor no less, but it’s too late to stop. His adrenaline is already starting to kick in, and he’s down on his knees over Zanthor. He can see himself throw a punch, then another, then another. It keeps going, even after the skywing elf looks too dazed and pummeled to continue to struggle.

As he lifts his fist again, he sees an arm belonging to a moonshadow elf swoop in and lock to his. His immense strength suddenly vanished, as quickly as it had come to him. In an instant, he sees another arm appear across his chest, and he feels like someone using their body weight to pull the two of them down on the ground.

He lays there for a second before his senses return to him. He picks himself up and turns around, seeing Rayla lay under him before she scoots away. They are both out of breath, and silently he’s grateful at her having stopped him before he did something truly awful.

He looks over at Zanthor, and sees a bloodied, broken mess.

“You,” Zanthor manages to say, in between taking gulps of air. “Are an animal! A savage creature! The elves were right to banish you all from Xadia! You are a freak mage!”

“How is this my fault?” Callum asks him. “You punched me and thought I wouldn’t defend myself?”

“What’s the meaning of this?!” He hears an elderly, stony voice. Turning around, he sees the skywing mage Macchus, standing directly above him and Rayla. How long was he just standing there?

“The wild prince attacked me!” Yelled Zanthor. Callum was irate at his attempt to shift the blame.

“Attacked you?! You hit me first! You would have knocked me out with your chokehold had I not done something!”

“ENOUGH!” Macchus bellows and shoots a reprimanding look at Zanthor. “Only a fool would try to fight a mage one-on-one like that! There are more painless ways to die. If you had a death wish, there are plenty of cliffsides in Patola you can jump from.”

Macchus looks over at Callum. “You’d have to excuse my son’s brashness. He isn’t the sharpest wing in the flock. But, it’s probably for the best that you and Rayla head inside for the time being.”

Callum nods and looks at Rayla, who appears to agree as well.

“You are full of surprises, Callum-of-Katolis,” the elder mage says grimly. “Time will tell if that’s a good thing or not.”

…

Callum and Rayla settle into the common room of the Primrose lodge. While the room is available for the other elves of the lodge, no one comes in, which gives the two of them some privacy.

As they sit down, facing one another, Rayla gets to work tending to the cuts and bruises on Callum’s face and his fists. According to her, the wounds themselves, while bloody and messy, aren’t terrible.

Still, he winces every so often as she applies hot water to the injuries.

“Don’t be such a baby, Callum,” she tells him. “I’ve taken worse hits than this.”

Callum chuckles. “Yea, I can imagine.”

She smiles at him and points at her left cheek. “Your aunt Amaya can throw a mean swing. I felt a swell on my face for over a week.”

“Yea, she really can,” Callum says. “I should have given you a better heads up.”

Rayla merely waves it away. “It’s fine, that was a while ago. I was just impressed she could knock me out cold in a single punch.” She smirks at Callum. “I can see where you get _your_ swing from, though.”

Callum simply rolls his eyes.

“You know, you’re lucky I was already on my first mission when I found you. Runaan taught me a few things about mending wounds right before we left. Everyone on the team was responsible for helping an injured partner,” she pauses. “Lucky for you, your cuts aren’t too deep, so you won’t need any stitches, and there shouldn’t be any swelling.”

She sighs and shakes her head. “I honestly never expected this from you. You don’t seem the type who gets into fights.”

“To be fair, I didn’t start it. And there will be times I have to defend myself now that we’re in Xadia.” Callum pauses. He doesn’t want to come across as too defensive. “I’m not safe here. You said so yourself.”

Her look becomes somber. “I still wish you didn’t do that. I’m on your side, but even if you win a fight, you’ll always lose the aftermath. Elves here are already unhappy with you being here, so fighting elves is only going to make that worse. And isn’t that why we’re doing this? To stop the fighting?” She looks into his eyes and places a hand on his cheek. “It wasn’t your fault, Callum. I should have been there with you.”

He touches her hand on his cheek and smiles. “Thank you. I know you’re always on my side. I’ll be more careful next time.” She says nothing, but smiles sweetly, which settles Callum’s worries. As she continues tending to his face, he can’t help but feel his spirits lifted by her doting help.

Rayla isn’t usually this close to his face, and when she is, she tends to be smiling. But now, as she is cleaning his injuries and making sure there’s no sign of infection, he sees her eyebrows shift, her lips contort to one side as she tries to concentrate. At one point, she sticks out a small part of her tongue, as though focused on her task. Callum finds it absolutely adorable.

He almost laughs. She looks positively silly, even though she isn’t trying to be. But her gentle movements are careful, and caring. She shuffles forward, her knees bumping into his. He feels himself tense up, as though he’s afraid to like the closeness between them too much. And yet he catches a flicker of something in the pale violet of her eyes he thought he’d seen before, when he awoke from his coma. Is she also feeling tense?

It hits him like a gust of wind how much and how long he’s been entranced by Rayla’s touch and her gaze. How much he needs her in his life.

Because she sees him. There was nothing and no one in the world that can replace that. That can replace _her._

It feels like he’s known that on some level for a while now. It’s just taken this long for his mind to catch up with the rest of him.

Yet, all he can think about was Zanthor. And how she looks at him.

He knows he shouldn’t press the issue. But he can’t help himself.

“So,” he begins. “You used to come here all the time?”

He sees her eyes focus on his. “Well, summers mostly. Not all the time. Runaan took me each year until I was twelve. That’s when my training really ramped up, and I stopped having time to travel around.”

She finishes tending his injuries. “There, should be all better by tomorrow! Anyway, where I live isn’t too far from here, and Runaan got along well with Macchus.”

“Oh, so you and Zanthor grew up together?”

Rayla shrugs. “I guess, for a time anyway. I’m sorry about him. He’s actually a good person, it’s just that he doesn’t like humans. It’s the way he was brought up.”

This struck a nerve. Is she really trying to defend him?

“Well, that’s no excuse,” he says to her. “We were both brought up to hate each other and look at us now!”

She chuckles as she looks to his feet. “Well, we didn’t start out that way, that’s for sure. It took some work, but our prejudices disappeared. Very soon, we’ll help our friends change for the better too.” She chuckles. Even Zanthor might change.”

Her tone when she mentioned Zanthor sounded just a touch too fond for Callum’s liking. “So, he’s just a friend to you?” He asks her.

“Well, yea. I mean, we haven’t been that close for several years, but that’s because—”

“Really?” Callum interjects. “Because you did seem pretty close earlier today...I dunno, I just thought there may have been something.”

Rayla raises an eyebrow. “Well, no, we weren’t. I never had time for any of that before.”

“But you would if you did have time?”

Her lips form a confusing scowl. “No, that’s not what I said, I said that—”

“I mean, that’s what it sounds like.”

She shakes her head. “No, it’s—”

“It just seems like, if it wasn’t for Zym and me—”

“Stop it!” Rayla snaps at him. “What’s gotten into you, Callum? Why-why do you even care?”

“I don’t!” He shouts back, a little too quickly, a little too loudly. “I don’t care.”

Rayla looks at him, confused and irritated. “Well good,” she says, with a tint of frustration, as though this was not what she was hoping to hear. “Because you shouldn’t.”

“It’s not like it’s none of my business if that’s what you mean,” he irritably says to her. “He tried to kill me. He’s your friend, and yet you’ve never mentioned him before. Even a little heads-up would have been nice. I never thought you would let your personal feelings cloud your judgment, but now, I’m not so sure.”

She gapes at him, and for the longest time, says nothing. But even as she slightly lowers her head, her eyes never leave his.

“You know,” she says. “I almost, _almost _forgot how much of a jerk you can be. And I still can’t believe you can be so mean and obtuse!”

Callum throws up his hands. “Hey, you know a lot about my life, and I know almost nothing about yours! I’m not the obtuse one!”

As she pauses, he sees anger mix with shock and even despair. “How-How dare you! You and Ezran were the _first_ people I’ve ever opened up about myself, my fears, and my worries, and you’re calling _me _obtuse just because I didn’t mention some…summer buddy I haven’t seen in years?!”

Callum shoots her a glare. He knows she’s right, but at the moment, he’s far too angry to admit it. “So, I’m not supposed to be concerned at all that you’re very good _friend_ tried to kill me?”

“I just told you that I should have been there with you!” She exclaims. “What more do you want? Besides, you’re blowing this way out of proportion, he’s not a _good _friend. I didn’t even have any close friends until—" She places her hands on her temples, as though nursing an oncoming headache.

“You know what? This is a waste of time. I’m tired, I’m going to sleep.” She gets up and glares at him one last time before she turns around. “You are _unbelievable_, Callum.”

“Rayla—"

She turns to look at him as she walks to the door. Her nostrils flare, her eyes wide with anger. “_Goodnight_,” she says, all to levelly, as though she’s putting more effort in keeping her voice steady than she should. She slams the door on her way out.

He puts his head in his hands. “Gods damn, I am such an idiot,” he mutters.

After a few minutes, Callum slowly picks himself up, lifts the snoozing Zym into his arms, and trudges forward to the hallway. Ordinarily, he and Rayla would sleep close together, but after tonight, he feels it’s best to find a separate room. Pushing the Key of Aaravos to each door, he finds one where the cube does not light up. Walking inside, he sits himself and Zym down and begins to stew in his own thoughts.

He doesn’t know what pushed him to blow up at Rayla that way. He knows he’s angry at Zanthor, but why did he take it out at her? She’s not responsible for any of it, and Rayla seems to have been completely on Callum’s side of the scuffle. Why does their friendship bother him?

Because I was jealous, he thinks to himself. Jealous of a friend?

Rayla is a friend, but not one he’s ever had before. She’s something more. She’s a friend who _sees _him.

The people of Katolis see him as a prince and found him wanting. Lord Viren saw him as a mongrel, spoiled and weak. The other elves see a monster, whose talents with magic should be feared, not celebrated. Even his step-dad, who loved him, saw him as his father’s son and gave him the space he thought he needed, learning too late that what Callum needed was him, the King, his Dad.

Bu Rayla sees Callum, as Callum.

Not Callum the Prince, Callum the mage, or Callum the freak.

Just Callum. With all of his shortcomings, all his insecurities and flaws. When he was terrible at everything. When he first became a mage, then lost it all. Even now, when he’s realizing just what he can do with magic.

She listens to him. She values him, with or without his abilities, regardless of all the reckless, stupid things he’s done over the time they’ve known each other.

Maybe because of that, he didn’t want to risk losing her. But then why does he feel a flutter in his chest when she touches his face, or smile instinctively when she looks at him? Why do his thoughts often wander to her? Why does his heart sink when he sees her getting along with Zanthor?

Why can’t he stop thinking about her?

It’s not a crush, he thinks. He’s just out of sorts, that’s all. He’s not going to make the problem worse by confusing himself. Or confuse her by blurting out yet another thing he’ll regret.

He sighs, and as he lies down on the bed, Zym flaps his wings and lands on the covers, curling up against Callum's stomach. He stroked his fingers through the dragon's back.

“Thanks, Zym,” he whispers.

For now, he’ll get some rest. He resolves to wake up at the crack of dawn, to try and catch Rayla before the day begins in earnest, apologize, and nip their problems in the bud. That way, he can put this argument, and all his confused feelings, behind them.

He’ll make sure of it.


	3. The Sky Nexus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Callum expands upon his sky arcanum and tests his limits.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not gonna lie, this might be my favorite chapter I've ever written!
> 
> Artwork by the wonderful and talented Kuno!

Callum tosses and turns most of the night, frequently waking only to pitch darkness. Eventually, he just gives up trying to rest, resolving to lie on his bed until the first light of dawn broke.

He gets up, changing into his clothes and, after slipping his satchel over his head, takes a deep breath. Ready as I’ll ever be, he thinks to himself.

He leaves the Primrose lodge and looks for a suitable place to settle. After coming to a courtyard in the middle of all the lodges, Callum finds a seat. Hopefully, Rayla wakes up soon, and he’s the first person she finds. And then, if she’ll accept his apology, they can go back to the way things were before, and everything will be alright.

Like nothing ever happened, Callum says to himself.

Until then, to pass the time, Callum takes out his sketchbook and begins to draw the courtyard. As he focuses on the finer details of the public square, he notices something…peculiar. There are symbols scattered throughout the area. Many have a passing resemblance to the aspiro and fulminis runes he draws when casting sky magic.

“Perhaps,” Callum says, “These symbols are runes for other spells.”

Feeling inspired, Callum flips a page, and begins anew, focusing instead on recreating each rune with his charcoal pen. After a restless night, the young mage finally feels like himself again. Like he can relax, forget his troubles, and just enjoy the scenery.

He’s so hypnotized by his discovery that he doesn’t even notice when an elderly skywing mage approaches him from behind.

“So,” his voice startles Callum, “Where does a human prince pick up primal magic?”

Callum turns around. It’s the mage he met earlier. Macchus, his name was?

“Um, for me it was completely by accident,” Callum begins. “I saw someone else do an apsiro, and then a fulminis, spell with a Sky Primal Stone. And later I happened to be holding on to that Primal Stone, cornered by these shadow wolves with Rayla, and I had to try doing it myself to save us.”

He thinks fondly of that moment when he discovered who he was. “Somehow, it worked! And then Rayla called me a mage, and it felt right!”

Macchus chuckles. “I know how you must have felt. The two most important days in your life is the day you’re born, and the day you find out why.”

The elder mage raises a brow. “But it sounds like you and Rayla have only known each other a few weeks! You mean to tell me you stumbled upon your connection to the sky arcanum, this power, all within the last month or so? And all of it is just an accident?!”

Callum scratches his head. “Well, yea. But I could only rely on those two spells I was able to cobble together, and for a while I needed a Primal Stone,” he says. “When that was gone, I was later able to connect to the sky arcanum.” He feels a little proud of his success.

The elder mage scratches his beard. “So, you weren’t even born connected to the sky arcanum? I’d reckon that you’re more than just a mage at this point.” He tells him. “Not that being a mage isn’t already remarkable. But even elven mages don’t go around unlocking arcana other than the one they were born with. What you did…that’s astounding! Yet you carry yourself as though it all comes to you very naturally.”

The young mage shrugs. “Honestly, even though I understand it, I feel like there’s so much more to the sky arcanum than I know.”

Macchus tilts his head to one side. “Well, I think I can help with that. Come, Callum-of-Katolis. You’ve piqued my interest, now I want to see what you can do in the Sky Nexus.”

“That sounds great! But actually…” Callum hesitates. “I think I should wait for Rayla. I…kinda owe her an apology for something I did last night.”

“Oh? So, she’s mad at you?” Macchus asks. Callum nods meekly, so the sky mage continues. “Might I ask what happened?”

“I…think I might have messed up.” Callum ducks his head. “ I _know_ I messed up. I said things I didn’t mean and was a real jerk to her. And she didn’t deserve any of it. She stormed off last night, and I haven’t spoken to her since.”

Macchus nods his head, knowingly. “Oh, so it’s _that_ kind of mad? Sorry to hear that.” He places a reassuring hand on Callum’s shoulder. “But, as my three ex-wives have told me, whenever you’re wrong, admit it, and whenever you’re right, shut up.”

Callum simply shoots him a curious stare. He can surmise how Macchus ended up with _three _ex-wives. “Thank you for that fascinating piece of advice that I really needed to hear,” he answers cynically. “But I’ve already decided to admit I was wrong when I see her. _If _I see her.”

Macchus throws a hand up in the air. “Well, you might as well come with me, then. If she’s mad at you when she wakes up in a few hours, she’ll be mad regardless if you’ve been drawing tacky runes in the courtyard or up in the Nexus with me. So, come. Indulge me.”

The young mage sighs. Macchus is incorrigible. “Alright, sounds like it might be up my alley anyway.”

The elder mage guides Callum away from the courtyard and leads him to a grassy clearing filled with strange, bizarre winged creatures. Macchus approaches one, which caws a cheerful tone at the mage’s presence.

“This,” Macchus says. “Is a Skyhorse.”

Callum could have guessed as much. The winged beast’s gait and beaked mouth was nothing like a horse, and its shrill howl was a sound like nothing he heard before. Yet its hind legs, large eyes, and thick mane were just like that of a stallion.

Callum feels the beak of a Skyhorse press against his back. Startled, he jumps around and defensively raises his hands. The Skyhorse merely yaps and attempts to press his beak against the young human.

“She seems to like you enough,” says Macchus, motioning to the animal. “Take this one.”

“Wait,” Callum yelps. “What do you mean ‘take this one’?”

Macchus gently sighs. “It means get on her back. Don’t worry, she’ll follow my steed, so you won’t need to steer her.”

Callum looks confused. None of the Skyhorses have a saddle. “What do I hold on to?”

Macchus shrugs. “Whatever you can.”

This just makes Callum even more agitated. “But, what if she doesn’t want me to ride her?”

The elder mage smirks at Callum. “Then I’ve enjoyed your company, Callum-of-Katolis.”

Here goes nothing, Callum thinks to himself. He climbs on the Skyhorse, ready to get started. He’s done worse for less, especially when it comes to learning magic.

Before he can even get situated, he sees Macchus’ Skyhorse take off into the sky. As though on cue, Callum’s Skyhorse leans down, preparing to ascend. The young mage curses himself under his breath as the Skyhorse leaps into the air. The beasts bank left, over the few elves strolling through the city of Patola at this early hour. They watch as Callum tilts to the side, gripping his Skyhorse’s mane and struggling to stay on her back. He passes over the courtyards and markets, through the spires and over the bridges of the tranquil city.

Finally finding his balance, Callum takes quick, shallow breaths, trying to stay calm. But with each passing breath, he finds himself becoming more attuned with his Skyhorse, sensing small changes in the wind leading to minute shifts in the creature's wings.

Macchus must feel it too. He looks back at Callum and shoots him a grin. Fear grips the young prince’s heart. This is going to be bad, he thinks to himself.

As the elder mage’s Skyhorse takes a plunge through the cloudy fog below, so does Callum’s, diving over a thousand feet in a matter of seconds. Callum struggles to hold his grip, the rushing wind drowning out his muffled scream.

When the Skyhorses level out, the young mage takes a moment to glance at his surroundings. He sees giant boulders, larger than most mountains in Katolis, floating past him. The creatures effortlessly maneuver between, and among, the peaks, the crags, and the cliffs. We’re in the Aymar Mountains, Callum thinks to himself. The ones Rayla pointed out to him.

Macchus finally sets his horse down on a plateau sitting high above the floating mountain range, followed swiftly by Callum’s. The boy climbs off his ride and grips his knees as he huffs, trying not to faint.

“I think you’ve ruined walking for me, Macchus.” His voice is strained, adrenaline pumping through his veins.

Macchus erupts in laughter. “I suspected that you of all people would have a sense of adventure.” He smacks him on the back. “Come, my boy! You’re the first human in Xadia in modern history. You might as well enjoy yourself.”

Callum can’t help but chuckle. “So, why did you bring me up here?”

“I figured it was a good idea to show a young mage the nexus of his arcanum.” Macchus motions around the plateau. “You know what this place is, right?”

The young prince takes no time to answer. “It’s the place where the Sky Primal is strongest and purest, right?”

Macchus raises a brow. “I take it that wasn’t just an educated guess?”

Callum shakes his head. “We stopped at the Moon Nexus, on our way to Xadia. The Moon mage there explained to me how a Nexus, Primal magic, and the arcanum all work.”

“Oh?” Macchus perks up, excited. “Is that so? And did she tell you what does an arcanum do?”

“Well, it’s the secret of the Primal, that all magical creatures have.” Callum doesn’t understand why the elf would ask such an obvious question.

Macchus lets out an exasperated, though somewhat amused, sigh. “Alright, sure. That’s what an arcanum _is. _But what does an arcanum _do_, exactly?”

“Well,” Callum begins, then stops. He’s not sure what Macchus is getting at, nor does he know quite how to articulate what he understands. “It…is the connection that lets a mage cast spells, or makes magical creature glow, turn invisible…that sort of thing.”

He sighs. “Okay, that was probably wrong,” Callum admits.

Macchus laughs as he leans in closer to Callum’s face. “_Breathtakingly _wrong.”

The young prince grumbles. “Okay, did I at least get something right?”

“Well, yes,” the elder mage waffles. “But actually no.” He puts a hand on Callum’s shoulder. “But don’t worry! An expert in anything was always once a beginner, just like you.”

Callum rolls his eyes. This is getting frustrating. “Besides,” the skywing elf continues. “I can understand, seeing as how the only mages you’ve known in your life practice Dark Magic. They can only take magic from elsewhere, bring it into their innermost self, and release it in a spell. But once they release it, it’s gone forever. But Primal Magic isn’t just about spellcasting, and it works in an _entirely _different way.”

For a moment, Callum notes something curious. Lujanne refused to even call what Viren and Claudia do “magic,” instead calling it an atrocity. Macchus seems a little more…generous in what he’s calling magic.

“Think of it this way,” the elder sky mage began. “When you connected to the sky arcanum, it was as though an entire door was opened to you, right?”

Callum nods.

“So, have you ever considered that doors open from both sides? That when you connected to the Sky Primal, it also connected to you?”

Callum shoots him a strange look. Of course he realizes that, and it makes sense, though he can’t help but wonder what the old mage was getting at.

“Here,” Macchus points to a spot on the ground, interrupting his thoughts. “Just sit down, cross your legs, and relax. I’ll give you a crash course in Primal Magic.”

As Callum sits down, Macchus kneels beside him. “Or, rather, _you’ll_ be giving yourself a crash course.”

Before Callum can ask him to clarify, Macchus pushes forward. “I’ll wager a guess that the moon mage you met could cast some amazing illusions! Without even having to draw runes and cast spells, right?”

The young prince nods his head. Macchus continues. “And yet, if memory serves, Rayla can’t do that. Sure, when there’s a full moon, she can turn invisible and is much faster and stronger than she normally would be. However, she can’t do any of that consciously.”

Callum turns to face Macchus. “What are you saying? That mages _can_ do all that consciously?

“What I’m saying is that what sets a mage apart from all other magical creatures isn’t our ability to draw runes and recite draconic words! If it were that easy, I could just grab every skywing painter I can find and make them all into mages overnight!”

Facing forward again, Callum thinks over Macchus’ words. He always assumed his memory and his talent with art is what made him into a mage. Apparently, there’s more to it than that. “Okay, fair. A moonshadow mage can create illusions, but a non-mage can’t. But what makes a mage so different from other magical beings? How do mages intentionally tap into magic without having to cast spells?

“Ah,” exclaims Macchus, pointing to the sky. “That indeed is the secret. Luckily you’ll be able to answer both of those questions together on your own,” he says. “Right now.”

“What?” Callum asks flatly. “How?”

Macchus places a reassuring hand on Callum’s shoulder, then promptly takes it off. “Don’t worry, just relax. Close your eyes.”

He does as he’s told. “Breathe.” He hears Macchus’ hypnotic voice command. “Take a deep breath and just…be.”

As Callum focuses more on his breathing, he feels his breath and the wind around him blend together. He reflects on the sky arcanum, and when he reaches out to the Primal Source, there’s…something, that reaches back. It’s faint, and fleeting, and _so_, so delicate that if he focuses too hard, the link will break.

But it’s there, like a brook trickling through him, little by little. He feels that the part of him called Callum is no more than a ripple, an eddy in the stream into which he endlessly pours.

As he accepts his small corner of this existence, he feels that there are other parts of him here too. The raging wind, the clouds above, and the rainfall hundreds of miles away. There is _nothing _here that is not a part of him.

Macchus’ voice is barely a whisper. “What do you feel?”

Callum’s eyes remain closed. “The-the sky…all of it.”

He feels the shifting air, pushing clouds and vapor together, then pulling them apart. Swirling storms folding in on themselves. Feeding on the rising water, then dispersing it back to the earth. Lightning travels through the sky, between and inside the clouds, climbing down from the heavens, and back up.

His eyes are shut, but he feels all this course through him, like a sensation riding right through him.

“It’s all constantly moving. Changing. Evolving.”

“There’s so much tension here. Friction. Resistance.”

He opens his eyes. “It’s just…chaos.”

Macchus eagerly nods his head, sensing the incoming epiphany. “But is it really?”

Callum’s eyes grow wide, realization bubbling within him, just like the time he found the sky arcanum.

“No!” he exclaims. “It’s not chaos. It’s harmony. Everything slides toward disarray…and then is brought back to harmony. Storms rage, for days, sometimes for weeks. As long as it takes for balance to be restored, and then disappear. And then everything slides right back, and the cycle begins again. The nurturing rest, and the aggressive motion.”

He bites his lip as he finds words to his thoughts. “And this is all part of the Sky Primal! The calm and the storm both! The sky moves in an endless, boundless cycle of opposites!”

He feels Macchus’ breath as he speaks. “And _this _is the answer to your questions. Sky mages coexist with this cycle. We don’t “do” magic. Magic _flows _through us. With each passing movement back and forth, wax and wane, from chaos to harmony and back again. Magic is a part of everything, and so it’s a part of us.”

He feels him take a breath. “And so, whether you’re collecting the sky magic, releasing it, or channeling it through you, you can do whatever you want with it,” he says. “Because you, Callum-of-Katolis, are a mage.”

As Callum slowly raises his hands, tiny pebbles float around his pocket of air, dancing in the wind. The air swirls around him, growing more rapidly with every breath. Small bursts of lightning crackle briefly on his fingers and shoulders. Steadily, Callum feels himself beginning to fall.

But he’s not falling. He’s _rising_, from the ground on which he sits. Above the Nexus. But always a part of it.

Because this is all part of Sky Magic.

“Macchus,” Callum murmurs. “I…I see it.” He sets his feet down and returns to a standing position. “I see all of it!”

He hears the elder mage cheer and claps his hands in applause. “Well done, my boy! You’re ready for the next part.”

Callum looks confused. “There’s a next part?”

Macchus nods. “Try to catch my Skyhorse.”

He thinks the mage is joking. “Wait, what?”

Macchus raises his hands. “Don’t worry. Just focus on what you’ve just learned, and it shouldn’t be difficult.”

Difficult, Callum thinks to himself. The Skyhorse can fly, and it can fly _fast_. That’s not difficult, that’s impossible!

“Okay,” the young prince says, as he softens his knees and turns to face the Skyhorse. “If I can grab it while it’s distracted, I should be able to catch it.”

As Macchus clicks his tongue, the Skyhorse takes flight. “We don’t do things the easy way up here, Callum-of-Katolis.”

Callum groans and gives chase. It’s going to be impossible to grab it from down here, but at least he can humor Macchus.

However, as Callum thinks back to what he just learned, he feels his pace pick up. Faster, faster than he’s ever run before. He feels like he’s stronger than ever in his life. And as he leaps, the force of his jump takes him to another floating mountain. He takes another leap, and another, each time easier than the last.

Getting the hang of it, he gives chase, jumping hundreds of feet in a single bound. The Skyhorse is fast, and it’s challenging to keep up, but nowhere near as hard as he thought it would be. The creature keeps pushing him to go faster, to keep testing his limits, and Callum believes, even as a mage, he can’t catch it. He reaches deep within before he realizes he must reach _out_. Out to the Nexus. Out to the sky.

As he feels his arcanum swell within him, he feels something electrifying. Propelling him forward, moving him several dozen feet in an instant. And then, in a flash, he’s there at his goal. Right on the mount of the flying stallion.

Macchus cheers again, before whistling and bringing the Skyhorse back down.

“Callum,” he says, gaping as the creature sets him down. “That was…beyond incredible. I was never able to progress that fast. The most talented mage I ever taught took months to get to the point you are at right now!”

The young prince just shrugged but feels perhaps a little self-satisfied. He thinks he’s earned it. “This must be how Rayla feels, having the freedom to move so fast and so far, ” he says. “I’ll admit, I’ve always been a little jealous at how she can just run and jump from tree to tree like it’s nothing.”

Callum’s smile grows. “But now…I don’t know. Maybe I’ll challenge her to a race at some point.”

For a moment, he forgets his guilt, and the anger Rayla likely feels for him right now. But now that he remembers again, and his spirits sink. He knows he can’t delay the inevitable.

“Macchus,” he says. “I think it’s time for us to go back to Patola.”


	4. A Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Callum reconciles with Rayla as the two of them decide to explore Patola...just the two of them.

When Callum arrives back to Patola with Macchus, they part ways as he heads immediately to the Primrose lodge. On his way, he spots Rayla, petting and playing with Zym. She’s smiling as she breaks off pieces of bread to feed the Dragon Prince.

He cautiously approaches her. When her gaze meets his, Callum sees her smile vanish and turns her head to face Zym.

“Hey,” he says to her, cautious yet optimistic.

“Hey,” Rayla answers curtly, but even while she looks at Zym. Callum can see the scowl on her face.

“So,” he begins, quietly. “I'm really sorry about last night. I was a jerk."

“Yes. You were,” she tersely replies, but never making eye contact, never turning to face him. She continues to stroke Zym, as though to pretend that she is too distracted to even look at Callum.

He sighs. “Rayla, how can I make this up to you?”

This gets her attention as she turns to face him. “How can you make it up to me?” she repeats his question. Her voice is calm, though her eyes widen in anger. “You badgered me with rude questions, and you accused me of having bad judgment. Do you really think you would just make it up to me and that’ll what, settle the score or something?”

His eyes never leave hers, but her angry, unforgiving glare gives him pause and a tinge of regret.

“I know I shouldn’t have said those things. You don’t have bad judgment, and I _do _trust you.”

This does little to settle Rayla. “Then why did you say it?” she asks him impatiently.

“Because,” he begins. “I saw you and Zanthor together, and I realized you have a life here. A life before you and me. I thought ‘Without you, I’m by myself.’ Your people are all on this side of the Breach, and mine are back in Katolis.”

She shakes her head. “That’s not true. There’s Ezran and Macchus, and—”

He stops her. “And that just got me to think that, after we’ve taken Zym home, you might want to go back to your people. That I’ll have to leave to go back to mine, and that’ll be it…I don’t want that to happen. That’s why I was nervous that, maybe there’s something between you and Zanthor, and I’ll just be in the way.”

Callum pauses before he continues. “But I shouldn’t have been rude to you. I shouldn’t have taken my fears out on you. So, I’m sorry it all came out that way.”

Her anger dissipates, her gaze softens, and she gives him a confused, almost concerned look. “Callum,” she says to him. “I would never think that.” She places her hand on his shoulder as she gives him a half-smile. After he pulls Rayla into a hug, she rests her head on his shoulder, and Callum feels the back of her hand gently smack his chest.

“You big dumb human,” she scolds him, yet her voice is so warm and caring. “You know better than that! I would _never_ abandon you.”

“I know,” he tells her. “But you’re my best friend. I want you to know that.”

As she embraces him tighter, she whispers. “I do. And you are mine. Even when we say hurtful things, I would never want to replace you in my life.”

They’re silent in their embrace for the longest time, before Callum pipes up. “So, should I do the jerkface dance?”

She snorts unbecomingly. “No, there’s no need for that. Even if we could explain it as some weird human morning ritual.” She backs away and smiles at him. “Your apology is accepted. Even though you can be a jerk sometimes, I know you don’t mean to be.”

“Thank you,” he says to her. He scratches his head as he attempts to shift to a different topic. “So, you said you used to come here every summer?”

She nods her head. “It’s been a while, but everything seems to be just how I remembered it.”

Callum looks around them, admiring the tall spires and exotic designs. “It’s just so beautiful here. I wish I could just explore and see all the magic here.”

Her lips curl up into a smile. “You can if you want to.”

“But don’t we have to leave tomorrow?” he asks her.

Rayla merely shrugs. “We should get moving but…no reason we couldn’t stay an extra day or two. Zym seems to love it here, and I’d like to see Patola again.”

He sees her eyes widen, as though lighting up with inspiration. “I got an idea! I’m sure Macchus will be grateful to spend the day with Zym. And I’d love to see all the old sites again! How about we let Macchus babysit Zym, and the two of us can explore Patola together? I’ll show you everything you’ll need to see.” Her eyes glaze over, as though deep in thought. “Since you got a chance to ride one, if you want, I’ll show you the Skyhorse Hatchery. That way you can see them as adorable wee little fawns.”

Callum felt his spirits lifted. It was a relief to find that Rayla was no longer mad at him, but a chance to spend the day with her was even better.

“Sounds great! Should we get going then?”

“How about tomorrow?” She asks him as she kneads her hands. “I’m…a bit out of sorts, from what happened between us yesterday and just now. I’m not angry with you anymore, but I can’t bounce back that quickly, and it’s just a lot to process right now.”

Rayla gives him a soft smile. “Besides, tomorrow we’d have the entire day to ourselves.”

Callum nods his head. “Tomorrow it is! It’s a date!” His breath suddenly hitches in the back of his throat. “Er, I mean, it’s _the _date. Like, the place and time where we do our fun activities…together.”

He sees her smile grow, which does nothing to soothe his nerves. “You know?” He stammers. “Like how people mark their calendars and say, ‘it’s a date.’ Just like that, I’m not trying to overstep any—”

She places a finger over his mouth to shush him. He’s a little surprised but relaxes a bit. “You know,” she says, with a bright smile. “It’s a good thing I happen to have a soft spot for stuttering mages.”

His heart must skip a beat, and his knees weaken a bit. He _thinks _he knows what she’s saying, but he doesn’t want to risk getting the wrong idea. Callum doesn’t want to push his luck or embarrass himself, so he just settles with a simple, stilted and monotonal “Yes…yes, I am.”

Her expression doesn’t change, but as she continues to smile at him, he notices her cheeks begin to flush. Maybe…just maybe there’s something there.

***

Rayla paces around the common room of the lodge, trying to calm her jitters and her nerves, and going over in her head how their…date, should proceed. Making sure she knows what to say, and when. Where everything is, and how to get there. How to react to whatever Callum is saying. And how to, well, “encourage” Callum’s affection without pushing him too far or scaring him off.

She’s not one to get nervous. During training sessions, Runaan would praise her steady hands and steely resolve. Yet, even though Callum would never try to hurt her, Rayla’s hands won’t stop trembling. She wonders whether she’d prefer fighting Soren, or even his aunt Amaya, to avoid finding out that perhaps she was reading too much into his words and actions. That maybe he just wants to be good friends.

This was a mistake, she tells herself. I’m going to make a complete fool of myself and spend the rest of our journey being embarrassed around him.

She’ll keep things simple: show him around the city, take him to the Skyhorse Hatchery. Easy enough. Rayla doesn’t want to overwhelm him, or to make him do anything he isn’t prepared for. Especially if he doesn’t think of her the way she thinks of him.

And if he doesn’t want to take things the way she wants to, well…she’s no worse off than before. At least she’ll know things won’t be changing.

“Rayla?”

Her adrenaline spikes as she spins around.

She sees Callum, though he’s only in his red shirt, the one she remembers Ezran wearing. Was he trying to dress up, she asks herself. Rayla, still only wearing her assassin attire, feels caught off guard.

“Oh hey,” she laughs nervously. “Where are your gloves, scarf, and jacket?”

He scratches the back of his head. “Uh, I thought you might want me to look nicer today.” He raises his hands defensively, as though warding off an attack. “But maybe I was just overthinking it! I could put them back on if you’d like—”

Rayla shakes her head. “No no, you look handsome!” She feels her face turn red. Was ‘handsome’ _really _the word she wanted to go with?

Callum grins awkwardly. “Thank you! You too! Look handsome, I mean… For an assassin, I mean.”

Somehow, his sheepishness makes her more comfortable. At least they can be nervous together.

He takes a deep breath. “So,” he begins. “Where do we go first? The Skyhorse Hatchery?”

She eagerly nods her head. “Yep! Let’s get started!” She marched right out the door so quickly it took a few seconds for a confused Callum to catch up.

As they walked, Rayla took deep, calming breaths to steady her nerves.

“Uh, Rayla,” Callum asks. “Are you okay?”

She turns to him and nods, though the quick bobbing of her head probably made her look a little too enthusiastic in her answer.

“Let’s take a long way around to the Hatchery,” she says to Callum. “It’s a much more scenic view. You can see the Aryam Mountains from there!”

She sees his face light up for a moment, then turns into a concerned impression. “I’m not taking you away from anything today, am I? You used to visit here, and I thought maybe you might want to spend time with some of the elves here.”

“Oh,” she’s surprised, though appreciates his thoughtfulness. “Uh, actually… I just wanted to spend some time with you. Just the two of us.” As he smiles, she hopes to herself that Callum picks up on what she’s saying.

“Thanks, Rayla, that’s very sweet. But it’s just that, if you also wanted to see Zanthor, I wouldn’t mind that. It might be a good chance to, you know, bury the hatchet.”

Rayla is a little taken aback at his suggestion. “Really? Because that wasn’t what you were saying a few days ago,” she says sternly, as she glances at her feet.

“I know. I’m sorry.”

She looks back at him. “It’s alright. On the bright side, at least I know this, um, “date” isn’t just a way to one-up him.”

He laughs. “Of course it isn’t! I want to see more of the city…and after all our travels, I’d like to just be able to have a day with you.”

She can feel her cheeks blush as she looks and smiles at him, saying nothing. It relaxes her to know that Callum isn’t merely jealous, that this is all natural for them.

“I’m surprised you’re so eager to get to know Zanthor. When he attacked you, I was so scared that he was going to kill you. I…I should have been there with you.”

“Rayla,” he half-whines. “You know I don’t need your protection.”

She rolls her eyes. “I know you don’t. You never did. But what does it say about me when I don’t defend you, just like you do for me?” She cautiously places a hand on his shoulder. “Besides, it seemed I should have been more worried about what _you_ could have done to Zanthor if I didn’t stop you.”

He gazes at her. “Fair enough. I’m glad you have my back.” As they walked in silence for a few minutes, Rayla wonders what Callum could be capable of as he continued to learn magic. If he can beat someone like Zanthor in a fight just a few weeks after connecting to the Sky Primal, what could he become in a few years? What could someone like Macchus teach him?

“Oh! I never actually got around to asking you,” she says after a while. “How was your morning at the Sky Nexus?”

Callum’s eyes lit up. “Oh, it was amazing!” Then, he suddenly looks a little self-satisfied. “Which reminds me: one of these days we ought to have a race.”

She raises a brow. “What kind of race?”

Callum just shrugs. “You know, with our legs.”

She chuckles softly, thinking he’s kidding. “You’re joking, right? I was the _fastest_ on Runaan’s team of assassins. Remember?”

She can see he’s trying to suppress a smile. “Uh-huh, yea that’s right. I remember.”

What is he getting at, she wonders. Not being able to read him is just frustrating. “As in me.” She points at herself with both her thumbs. “Fastest. Right here.”

Callum snorts. “Yep. I would have no chance at all.” Now he’s trying not to laugh! Rayla thinks as she tries deciphering his words. What is his deal, she wonders.

As she side-eyes him, she decides to drop it for now. She can beat him in a race and put him in his place any time she wants, so no need to pry for answers now.

“Alright, keep being smug then. The Hatchery should be right over there.” She points at a large shed, hanging from a spire a few hundred feet ahead of them. “Let’s head on inside. Oh, and for the record, Callum?” She shoots him a radiant smile as she takes his hand. She’s glad he lets her hold it. “I like you a lot more than I ever liked Zanthor.”

Rayla turns to face the road in front of them, and for the longest time, Callum says nothing. That’s alright, she thinks to herself. She’s glad she said what she said, and doesn’t regret it for a moment.

“Rayla?”

She looks back at him, and his gentle smile.

“I really like you too.”

This forces a soft laugh from Rayla, as she tucks her hair behind her ear. She feels the warmth on her cheeks, but for once, it wasn’t from embarrassment.

“Come on then, flirty prince,” she says as she jerks his hand. “Let’s go to inside the Skyhorse Hatchery.”

As they step inside, her smile fades. She sees no eggs, and all the berths are devoid of fawns.

Oh no, she thinks to herself. There must be no infant Skyhorses at the moment, or they’ve all been moved elsewhere. It’s the first place she wanted to show him, and its already a huge disappointment.

“Not what I was hoping for but,” she turns to face Callum and sheepishly stretches out her hands. “Welcome to the Hatchery!”

Callum looks around, appearing confused. “Wait, I think I hear something!”

He runs over to the other side of the Hatchery. “Rayla!” He calls her over. “I found one! A baby Skyhorse!”

Feeling like a weight was lifted from her chest, Rayla breathes a sigh of relief and rushes over to see.

Sure enough, a Skyhorse, no bigger than Zym, yips at the two of them.

“Well, that’s a relief!” Rayla tells Callum. “If you can hold it in your hands, I can show you how to handle its wings and—”

The Skyhorse abruptly takes flight, soaring just above their heads and around the shed, finally resting on a windowsill twenty-five feet above the ground.

Rayla groans. “Wait here,” she whines. “I’ll go get it down.”

“No, wait!” Callum shouts, startling her. She sees a wide-eyed grin forming on his face.

“I can do this,” he states, matter-of-factly.

Before she has a chance to ask him, he leaps into the air and grabs on to a fixture. Then jumps to the opposing wall before seemingly bouncing to the other side of the shed and landing on the windowsill.

“Ta-da!” he shouts. Rayla, speechless and astonished, crosses her arms and tries her best not to look impressed.

“I mean, that was okay, I suppose.” She says to him. I could have done that faster, she thinks to herself. “I’m guessing you couldn’t do that all this time? Because I’d be _really _annoyed if you’ve been having me scout ahead from the treetops so many times if _you _could have done that too.”

“Woo-hoo!” Callum shouts, ignoring her, jumping from pillar to pillar, wall to wall, Skyhorse in hand.

“Callum,” she says. “Callum!”

He stops and looks at her.

“No one likes a loud mage,” she tells him. “Or a cocky one.”

He sticks her tongue out at her, which makes her laugh. But a cute mage, she tells herself, I can live with that.

As he climbs back down, he cradles the baby Skyhorse in hand and approaches her.

“So,” she begins. “I guess Macchus must have shown you a thing or two up at the Sky Nexus.”

Callum smirks, saying nothing. Was he always this smug, she wonders to herself. She’s not sure she likes that.

“I’m glad you’re getting to learn some magic while we’re up here,” she tells him.

“Yea,” he says. “Though it was just so much. And sometimes, I feel…” he trails off, as his confidence begins to fail him. “When I understood the sky arcanum, it felt like there was something new that dug itself inside me. But then yesterday, it felt like that thing was now awake, and it just feels like I don’t quite know what I am anymore. I couldn’t do _any _of this just a few weeks ago, and now…what do I do? What happens next?”

Rayla places a gentle hand on Callum’s shoulder. “You’re not a completely different person, but I know how you feel. When you feel this way, just remember: Life is like a river. You can’t see too far ahead, you don’t know where it will bend and turn, but don’t try to control it. There’s only one thing you can control—yourself. If you know out who you are, and what you stand for, then wherever the river takes you, you’ll be right where you were meant to be.”

Callum shoots her a surprised look. “Did…you just come up with that right now?”

She scowls. “What? I’m clever enough to come up with words of wisdom on the spot! I mean…I didn’t come up with _that _one…but not because I’m not clever!”

“Well,” Callum chuckles. “That was beautiful either way. Almost like a poem or a song.”

Rayla’s eyes light up. “Oh! You just reminded me!” She grabs his shoulders. “There’s this place here called the Citadel. It’s this large set of caverns, where mages perform amazing rituals. Only skywing mages are allowed inside, _but _there’s one cavern no one ever visits that you can climb to from the cliffside. I used to go there all the time! Inside are these instruments—wind chimes, valves, strings— that together play you a song, almost like an orchestra.” She grins at him. “But you have to cast an aspiro spell to turn it on.”

Seeing him get so giddy at the mere thought of doing magic makes her think taking this extra day was worth it. As she guides him to the Citadel, she looks at him every once in a while, reminding herself just how utterly thrilled he is.


	5. Safe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rayla and Callum's date continues as they explore a hidden chamber, and learn the truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter may hurt a bit...but hopefully in a good way!

When they come to the cliffside, Rayla approaches the rocky wall they’ll need to climb to get to the chamber.

“Well, it’s a long climb up, we might as well get started while the sun’s out.” She begins her ascent at a comfortable enough pace, assuming she’ll need to take it slow for Callum to keep up.

But out of the corner of her eye, she sees that he already jumped ahead of her. As she picks up her pace, she sees Callum grin and effortlessly picking up his.

This is getting annoying, she thinks to herself. How can Callum be moving this quickly? Not to be outdone, she decides to sprint to the top. But no matter how hard she pushes herself, she finds Callum always ahead, effortlessly leaping from one rock to another, scaling surfaces, and lifting himself over ledges. Looking over at him, she swears she sees his fingers burrow into the rock as it crumbles to dust under his grip. When he reaches the top, she loses sight of him completely.

When she finally makes it to the top, out of breath, completely exhausted, she finds Callum sitting against a rock, calmly drawing in his sketchbook. He looks almost laidback, as though the climb did not faze him at all.

“You’re right,” he says, looking up at her, forming a square with this thumbs and forefingers and pointing it in her direction. “This is such a beautiful view. I’ve got to sketch this! I’ll call it: ‘The Fastest Assassin.’ ”

She struggles to her feet. As she huffs and wheezes, her irritated glare meets his self-assured smile. “Never,” she says between haggard breaths, pointing at him. “_Ever_. Mention this to anyone.”

As they walk inside the cavern, Rayla is shocked by what she finds. While the chamber is still intact, it has been flooded. There is now a pool of water separating them from the amphitheater on the other side.

“Well, this wasn’t here before.” She says to him, grimacing. “The instruments I was talking about are on the other side of the water from us.”

To herself, she curses that this is yet _another _of her date ideas that gets screwed up. Why does it have to be water, she asks herself. She’s about to give up on the whole idea, but when she turns around, she sees Callum taking off his shoes and rolling up his pants.

“Uh, what are you doing?” She asks him.

He doesn’t answer, just smiles and extends his arms in her direction.

“You better not be thinking of carrying me,” she tells him.

“Why not? I’ve caught you and lifted you up before when you jumped off Phoe-Phoe and almost went over a cliff,” he replies. “_And _with Ez and Zym, to boot.”

She shakes her head. “No, _I _caught Ez and Zym. But that’s not the point. I know you can carry me, it’s what you’d be carrying me over that I’m more worried about.”

He rolls his eyes. “That water can’t be more than a few feet deep. We’ll be fine, trust me.”

She sighs, closes her eyes, and decides to go along with yet another one of Callum’s dumb ideas. Rayla lifts her hands up and lets him place an arm under her knees, and another on her back.

He picks her up in one fell swoop and adjusts her under his arms, centering her. Callum shows no strain or struggle in his face, as though her weight doesn’t affect him. He simply shifts her around as he figures out what’s most comfortable for her. Rayla is a bit surprised how easy this is for him.

“Just don’t let go, you crazy human,” she tells him.

“Don’t you worry,” he says, almost pridefully.

As they begin to cross, Rayla places her arms around his neck and shoulders. Halfway across, he stumbles a little, and she instinctively tightens her grip around him.

“It’s okay, just a loose rock,” he playfully reassures her. She can tell he’s enjoying this way too much, so she jabs her index finger into his chest.

“If you drop me, I _swear _I’ll kill you.” Her glaring eyes are only a few inches away from his face.

He chuckles and shakes his head, but they make it to the other side without any problems.

As he gently sets her down on her feet, she stares into his smug face. Her heart’s racing as she looks into his eyes. “When did you get to be so strong?” She places a palm on her forehead and chuckles. “Oh, right, the Sky Primal. Must feel great having the sky arcanum, right?”

His smile suddenly becomes abashed, as he looks at his feet. “Yea, I suppose so.”

Rayla’s hand brushes through his hair, as she looks wistfully at his face. “It’s okay, even moonshadow elves like being swept off their feet every once in a while.”

She sees him smile as his face flushes. This soothes her nerves. Maybe her crush isn’t so hopeless after all.

“So, how does this work?” asks Callum.

“Simple,” Rayla says, pointing at a large cylinder. “If you cast an aspiro and blow through that, it’ll set off all the other valves, chimes, and strings in this chamber. Try it!”

Doing as he’s told, he draws the rune and casts the spell. They hear a soft, flowing melody, with distinct, yet gentle, notes playing one after another like a waterfall. It’s a serene, yet almost melancholic tune.

“Oh wow, so it _is_ an actual song! Not just music!” Callum exclaims, a joyful smile on his face.

“Yea,” she begins. “The song’s called ‘The Stranger at Summerhall.’ I don’t remember any of the words, but Runaan told me the story behind it once. It’s about an heir to the throne of Summerhall, a warrior princess who fell in love with one of her generals. The general was a formidable woman in her own right, and they were unstoppable together in battle. And, when the princess was told she had to put the general aside for the throne, she gave up her title, to be with her lover.”

“That’s really romantic,” Callum says.

Rayla shakes her head. “Runaan didn’t think so. He said that if you read the lyrics for the song, it wasn’t the general she didn’t want to give up, but the thrill of battle. The lust for combat. As much as she loved the general, _that _was her true love. And when she had to choose between the sword or the crown, she chose the sword. And became a stranger in her own castle.”

Her heart sinks. “She couldn’t stop fighting. I guess…neither could Runaan.”

“Rayla,” she hears him whisper. “I’m so sorry. We didn’t have to come here. I didn’t know this place would dredge up some bad memories. “

She smiles softly at him. “It’s alright. I actually love this place. I spent my entire life training from dawn until well after dusk, so this place…” she walks toward the edge of the water, peering at her reflection. “…was one of the few places I actually got to enjoy myself and relax. I’m glad we are back here.”

They listen to the melody continue in silence for several minutes. It’s not an awkward silence, and she doesn’t feel compelled to make a conversation happen. As much as she enjoys talking to Callum, this quiet moment together, with just the music in the background, was also nice.

Her eyes widen as she feels his knuckles and his fingers bump into hers. She thinks it’s just an accident the first time. But after the second and third time, she looks over at him, his face blushing, trying to look anywhere but her. Rayla feels her heart pounding as she meekly takes one of his fingers with her own. She breathes a sigh of relief when Callum smiles at her, then interlocks his fingers with hers.

Joy bubbles up inside her, so much so that she can’t contain the blissful laughter as her cheeks turn pink.

“So, this _is _a date then,” she tells him.

Callum gives her a goofy grin. “I was hoping so.”

He takes her other hand and places his around Rayla’s waist, which did little to settle the giddiness in her system.

As Callum begins to sway and shuffle them from side to side, in step with the playing melody, the strange look of concentration on his face makes her burst out laughing. “What in the world are you doing?”

“_We_ are dancing.”

“Uh-huh,” she rolls her eyes. “Is that what this is called? I’m not entirely convinced this isn’t some human evening ritual.”

He chuckles as he looks longingly into her eyes. “Thank you for today. I had an amazing time with you.”

“Really?” she asks. “The Hatchery was empty, and the chamber is flooded. This date was almost a disaster.”

“It doesn’t matter. I got to spend an entire day alone with my favorite elven warrior! How’s that not the best date ever?”

Rayla’s smile falters as she stops swaying. All the insecurities that Zanthor managed to shore up in the last few days come rushing back to her mind.

“Thanks, Callum,” she says. “That’s sweet, but elves think differently around here. My parents were two of the most elite warriors in the world. _Everyone_ expected me to turn out exactly like them. Just as fast, just as skilled.” She sighs. “So, anytime I do anything right, it’s supposed to be _because_ of them. People would say ‘Oh, her parents raised her well,’ or ‘Runaan is such a skilled teacher.’ It was never something _I _could take credit for.” She lowers her head, hiding her face. “The only things that are really mine are my mistakes.”

She looks at Callum, who simply stands there, a stunned expression on his face. He places his hands on her arms, gently encircling his fingers around them. “I can’t admire you for your strength? For your bravery or your kindness? You give your parents and Runaan too much credit. Sure, they helped, but it’s _you_ who actually did the hard work. _You _are the only reason you are this amazing, and you can be proud of that.”

Callum’s hands relax and cup her elbows. She’s always been slightly smaller than him, but as he gently tugs her closer, she can feel the difference in their size. But she still feels safe around him, even now, with all her vulnerabilities laying bare.

She comes to the realization that he will never abandon her. He will never stop trying to make her happy, he will never stop reminding her how much he cares, and he will never stop being at her side to defend her, just as she would for him.

Yet, she feels as though Callum is mistaken about her, that she doesn’t deserve any of this. That if he _truly _knew her, he would judge her, and he would leave.

“I’m not what you think I am,” she mutters. “You know why I have to return Zym with you, right? My parents fled and let the humans take the Dragon Egg. Their cowardice is now about to start a war. But maybe if we bring Zym home, maybe if the war doesn’t start…maybe it’ll be like none of that cowardice happened in the first place…right?”

Callum shakes his head. “Rayla…it’s not your job to make up for your parents’ failures. You once told me before this was a mission for redemption. But you don’t have _anything_ you need to be redeemed for.”

“Yes, I do,” her voice cracks. She can feel the tears forming in her eyes. “I let a human sentry go the night before we came to Katolis. I know now that was the right thing to do, but I was so scared to tell Runaan that I lied to him about it. If I told him the truth, maybe he would have been angry, but he could have called off the mission then. No one had to die that night. Your step-dad didn’t have to die that night.”

Tears make their way to her cheeks. “But I didn’t, and by the time he learned the truth, we had tied our binds, and it was too late.” She looks down at her feet. “I don’t know where any of them are. If they’re dead or captured…I don’t know what I’d do. Callum, I-I don’t how to live with that.”

She could no longer control the outpouring of emotion. She lets out an anguished sob before she takes a deep breath and finds the resolve to continue. “His last words to me were ‘your justice will come soon.’ He was the closest thing I ever had to a father, and there was just so much anger in his eyes. That was all he had left for me.”

Callum draws her close and hugs her. For the longest time, neither of them says anything. Neither of them has to. Rayla simply lets herself feel what she needs to feel, but comfortable in knowing that she is in a safe place to do so. That Callum is here to stay.

A few minutes pass, and he whispers in her ear. “You didn’t fail him, and you didn’t betray them. I was there when Ez showed Runaan the egg. He made his choice then, and so did you.”

He pulls away and looks at her, wiping away a tear on her cheek. “And I’m so glad you chose to help Ez and me. _Especially_ me, because…I was lost without you. When you called me a mage, it felt like I was found again. So, when we met, you changed everything.”

Rayla laughs through her tears. “_Callum_, when we met, I chased you down the hall trying to stab you.”  
  


He snickers at this. “Well, I never said you were perfect.” They both share a laugh as Callum places his hands on her shoulders. “But I’m serious. Right now, there’s _nowhere _I’d rather be.” 

Her eyes lock with his. “Neither do I.”

This close, she can see the fondness in his eyes, and the look he’s giving her that wordlessly tells her everything she ever needed to hear. It makes her smile. He’s so caring and so sweet, and all he wants is for Rayla to know he’s there for her. And she _does_. She’s always doubted how he felt about her. There’s no more room to doubt him now.

“Callum…can we stay like this? Just for a while longer?”

He nods and silently pulls her close again. She slips her arms under his and places her head on his shoulder.

He’s hugged her before, but he’s never _held _her. Not like this, where she fits against him, enveloped by his arms. Where one of his hands hold her head, and the other rests on the small of her back. It’s soothing, as though she no longer has to hold up all her fears and doubts by herself anymore.

All her life, she’s had to hide her fears, her doubts, her insecurities. If she didn’t, she would be judged, she would be shamed, she would be punished.

“A disgrace to her parents,” they would have said. “Two elite members of the Dragonguard, and their cowardly daughter. What a joke!” And now that her parents fled their post, it wouldn’t matter how much bravery Rayla can show, because now _their _betrayal would be branded on her too.

But here, in Callum’s arms and for the first time in her life, she feels _safe_. Safe to be vulnerable, and to be herself, because he is the first person who has ever given her a space where that is possible.

_He_ makes me feel safe, she thinks to herself.

She feels him rub his fingers along her neck and her back, so she does the same with his. He pulls away, but never leaves her space.

With his hand still on the back of her head, he moves his face close to hers. So close that, as their noses bump against each other, she can feel his breath. Yet he simply stops there, his eyes locked with hers as though waiting for a sign.

With her eyes lidded heavily, she places a hand on his cheek and gives him a small smile, hoping that he can recognize it for what it is. That she’s telling him it’s okay, that he can close this gap between them once and for all.

Thankfully, he does.

His lips are soft and warm as they press against hers. They both adjust as they each try to find the perfect angle. She has no idea what she’s doing, and neither does he. And yet it’s so wonderful. _He’s _wonderful, and it feels like she’s been waiting a lifetime for this, for _him_. She opens her eyes just a bit to see the passion with which he was kissing her and smiles against his lips.

She’s still smiling when they pull away, matching the grin on his face. That was nothing like what she expected from a first kiss. It was _so _much better, and she is so happy it was with Callum.

“Not bad, happy prince,” she says to him, somewhat breathlessly.

He simply traces her back with his hand. “Thank you…happy elf.”

Rayla can’t keep the excitement at bay any longer, and she bursts out laughing as she buries her face in his scarf and embraces him. His arms encircle her once more, and she feels his breath on her neck. It’s a perfect moment, she thinks. It never occurred to her that Callum would like her too, but now that she sees just how much he does, she is so overjoyed that she cannot believe she’s not merely imagining all this. 

But even this joy passes and is replaced with worry and dread. Her smile and her excitement fade away.

“What are we going to do?” she whispers into his shoulder.

Callum pulls away and looks into her eyes. “What do you mean? About us?” His lips curve as worry takes over his face. “Are you-are you not sure about this?” He motions to their intertwined arms.

“_No_,” she firmly tells him, reassuringly rubbing his arms. “I’ve been unsure about so many things in my life. Hesitate, think too much, doubt myself. But _this_, right here, I’m sure of. I’ve never been more sure of anything else in my life.”

Her gaze grows sullen. “That’s why I’m worried about what we’re going to do. You’re a human, and I’m an elf. Our peoples will never accept us. Where can we go? How can we survive?”

Callum rubs his thumbs over her back. “We’ll worry about that tomorrow,” he says softly. “And the next day. And so on. But tonight, we’re here, and it’s just us. There are no ‘our peoples’ here to tell us they don’t accept us. ”

He’s right, she thinks. They’re all alone here, and there are no elves or humans to judge or curse them. This moment belongs to them, and them alone.

“You’re right,” she begins. “It’s all—”

He interrupts her as he gently kisses her again, and her eyes flutter shut. She’s taken aback by his sudden burst of confidence, but she enjoys it. Rayla is not used to being wanted in this way, but now that she is, it’s a breath of fresh air.

She chuckles. “I guess I’m never gonna get a word in again, am I?”

Callum smiles as he shakes his head. “Not if I can help it.”

She snorts as she shoves him lightly in the chest and smiles when he laughs. She’s impressed by his sturdiness when he doesn’t move an inch.

“Hey, I figured I could use the practice!” he tells her. “Don’t you want me to be a good kisser?”

Her hands find their way on his shoulders. “Oh? You don’t think you’re good now?” She toys with him.

Callum tucks her hair behind her ear. “Thank you. For everything.”

She blushes and looks at her feet. “I should be thanking you,” she tells him, looking back at the opening of the chamber and seeing the night sky. “I think it’s time for us to head back.”

He nods, and she takes a few steps, before turning around and realizing Callum hadn’t moved. He just stands there, looking thoughtfully at her.

“What are you doing?” she asks him.

He grins good-naturedly, never breaking his gaze. “Remembering this,” he answers.

He then moves toward her and begins rolling up his pants again. He stretches his hands out, and this time, Rayla does not hesitate.

As they move across the water again, she’s no longer worried that he’ll drop her. She’s safe, she tells herself, and the thought alone settles her as they make their way through the pool. She calmly holds her arms around his shoulders and looks at him as though seeing him anew. He’s not the insecure little boy she met back in Katolis. There’s a determination and decisiveness in his eyes that was never there before. It had emerged when he connected to the sky arcanum and had been growing ever since. It’s a change she likes. He’s always been so much more than he gave himself credit for. Rayla could always see that, and she’s proud of him for seeing it too now.

She turns his head towards her and plants a kiss on his lips as her hands stroke his face. Callum comes to a halt as they take the moment in. He lifts his arms to bring her closer to him, and Rayla can feel the two of them hovering over the water. They levitate together for a few moments before coming back down to the water.

She isn’t the least bit surprised. Sky mage, she tells herself, but _my _sky mage.

“Callum,” she breathes into his lips when she’s done.

“Hmm?”

“Don’t let go,” she whispers softly.

He chuckles. “Never,” he tells her, as the two make it to the other side, and leave the cave together.

On their way back to the Primrose lodge, they collect Zym from Macchus. The sky mage, eternally grateful to have spent the day with the future King of the Dragons, simply wishes them a good night, while shooting a Callum a knowing wink.

They walk back into their lodge, and Callum pauses in front of his door. Rayla stands in front of hers. She feels butterflies in her stomach as she turns to face him, but reminds herself of their amazing evening together. She fell for a human, _hard_, and he fell for her just as much. The thought bolsters her confidence.

"You know,” she whispers to him. “We’ve been sleeping together in the wilderness for so long, that it felt strange we weren’t around each other for the last two nights.”

“I didn’t think you wanted me to come in.”

She shakes her head as she puts her arms over his shoulders and around his head, bringing his face close. “Callum,” she begins. “I don’t ever want to go to sleep thinking that, when I wake up, one of us will be angry at the other. We can _always _talk through our problems. I promise I will try to. Will you?”

He nods his head. “Yes,” he says. “I promise.”

“Good,” she shoots forward and pecks him on the lips. She’s rewarded with him melting against her. Rayla smiles as her forehead leans against his. She can get used to this.

Callum grins as he lets her lead him into her room. While Zym scampered his way on to the couch, Rayla sat on the bed and made herself comfortable.

As Callum stood there nervously, Rayla can’t help but chuckle. “Well, I hope its not a hard choice, between Zym and I.”

He laughs. “Well, as long as I know what my choices are.” As she lies down, facing away from him. Callum lays down behind her and encircles her stomach with his arms as he pulls her closer to him. As they tangle their legs together, she feels his head rest on hers.

“Make sure my horns don’t take your eyes out,” she mumbles fondly, as sleep begins to overtake her.

Some time passes before she hears his soft voice. “Rayla?”

“Mmhm?” She replies, still half-awake.

She hears Callum shift a bit. “Was our date…good?”

Rayla turns around a little to face Callum and beams at him. Her hand brushes through his cheek, and then his hair before she takes one of his hands. Turning back to her side, she lifts the hand and places a soft, gentle kiss into his palm before tucking it under her, meshing their fingers together.

“Yes,” she tells him. “Now, let me sleep?”

“Right,” Callum answers, as he kisses her cheek. “Sorry.”

Rayla squeezes his hand. “Dummy,” she mumbles and sighs fondly. _My _dummy, she tells herself.

She’s not sure what comes next. But it doesn’t matter.

She’s safe. They both are.


End file.
